Bloom
by donttickledraco
Summary: A re-write of the Harry Potter series, starring a feisty young witch named Rose, with a rough family life, making her world feel small. Upon her arrival at Hogwarts she'll realize just how small. Rose is left to make controversial choices, and finds out the good and evil in people she thought she knew. This add-on to the wonderfully-written series will leave you blooming for Rose.
1. Chapter 1

Rose Barton lived in a two-bedroom apartment in the heart of muggle London with her family. She didn't have much, but a passionate love for her mother, father, and young sister, Adeline. This love alone is what fueled Rose to wake up at dawn every morning to attend her job of passing newspapers out to the neighbors. Rose tossed an issue of _The Daily Mail_ into each persons lawn on a bike she had gotten for her birthday a few weeks back. The job had crummy pay, but Rose did anything to collect extra money for her family. Only eleven years old, many would say this a shocking occurrence, but Rose's parents tried hard as well, practically slaving away at their jobs day after day.

After distributing the daily papers, Rose dressed as nice as she could possibly manage, and helped her sister out of bed. Adeline was nine years old, sporting thick, in-tamable dirty blonde hair, and freckles that dotted her deep olive skin. Rose always attempted to put her in dresses, but was never able, for Adeline had a stubborn defiance to girly things.

"Come _on_ , Addy," Rose cooed every morning, before ripping off her thick yellow comforter. Adeline and Rose slept in the same bed, with their mother and father in the bed nearby.

Rose's mother, Eloise, was tall and frail, with fair skin and florescent yellow hair, though, small wisps of silvery grey were beginning to appear in streaks along her head. She was very kind and quiet, yet occasionally fiery, while still very enticingly beautiful, and she had a heart. The girls' father, Earl, on the other hand, was loud and booming, with a big personality, and an opinionated mind. He had deep black hair, dark leathery skin, and a powerful stance, giving him authority. Although sometimes being very close-minded, Earl was just as loving as Eloise, would do anything for his family, and was a push-over when it came to his wife.

"Father," began Rose as she walked into the kitchen with Adeline, "do you need any help with breakfast?"

"No, sweetheart," he replied with a sigh, "your mother is at the market buying eggs. I will see you when I get home from work." Mr. Barton gave each daughter a strong kiss on the forehead and said, "stay out of trouble, you two," with a subtle wink at Adeline. He gathered his briefcase, and made his way to the door. Just as his hand reached the knob, it turned under his finger tips. The door opened slowly, as Mrs. Barton stepped in the room. She gave a crooked smile, as she kissed her husband passing through the door. "See you later honey," boomed Mr. Barton, making his way into the hall.

"Wait Earl!" cried Mrs. Barton out the door.

"What is it _now_ sweedums?"

"Rosie's received a letter!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I found it in our box downstairs!"

"From whom?" Mr. Barton asked with a curious expression. Not many people sent letters to the Bartons, unless they were bills or house payments.

"I don't know," replied Mrs. Barton, squinting, "I haven't got my glasses on."

"Well, I'll read it, mother," spoke Rose, "it's _my_ letter, isn't it?"

"Very well," said her mother with a smile. She handed over the letter, hesitantly. Rose examined the envelope. It was thick, heavy, and yellowish in color, with an address written in emerald ink.

 _Ms. R. Barton_  
 _The first bedroom to the right_  
 _Room 26_  
 _Shell Apartment Buildings_  
 _London_

There was no stamp, but instead a coat of arms, bearing a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake, all surrounding the letter H. Rose shook the package close to her ear and said uneasily, "Whoever send this knows what bedroom I sleep in," looking up at her mother.

"Well," joked Mrs. Barton, trying to defuse the tension, "it's not like we've got many to choose from." Nobody laughed. Slightly offended, she followed with, " _Well_ , are you going to open it or not?" Rose pulled apart the purple wax which had been sealing the envelope, dropped the letter into her hand and read:

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_  
 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf, Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_  
 _Dear Ms. Barton,_  
 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment._  
 _Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31,_  
 _Yours sincerely,_  
 _Minerva McGonagall,_  
 _Deputy Headmistress_


	2. Chapter 2

The whole family stood with their mouths open in disbelief. After a long moment of silence, Mr. Barton grabbed the letter and growled, "whats this rubbish?

"Veeeery funny," he mumbled, skimming over the letter, "owls, witchcraft, order of Merlin - is this some kind of joke?!"

"No father really I-"

"When did you have time to apply to this fantasy school?" shouted Mr. Barton, losing his temper.

"Father I didn't. I had no idea, I swear," whimpered Rose.

"She's telling the truth Earl, stop it!" screamed Mrs. Barton, "Stop it. There has been a mistake here, seeing as Rose never applied to this school. We'll have to visit the post office and ask who this letter came from. No need to fuss."


	3. Chapter 3

"Very funny," said the post man when Mrs. Barton handed him the Hogwarts letter, "it hasn't even got a stamp. And what kind of rubbish address is this?"

"Don't talk to my wife that way you-"

"Earl, please," Mrs. Barton said coolly, "are you sure this wasn't sent through the post?" she asked, directing her attention back to the worker.

"Sorry ma'am, but it looks to me this was hand delivered; I can't identify a return address." Mr. and Mrs. Barton walked back to the apartment confused and unsure of the situation.

"So we _are_ sending her to the school, then?" thought Mrs. Barton aloud, "It seems quite extravagant."

"Are you barking mad?" yelled Mr. Barton, stopping in the middle of the walkway, "We don't even know where the bloody campus is! And what in the hell's a wizarding school? Tell me Eloise, have you ever heard of sending a reply by owl?"

"Well, er, no, but I bet there's more information in the envelope that we've overlooked. We'll read the other papers when we get back home." He nodded in agreement, and gave the top of her head a gentle kiss. Mr. Barton often lost his temper, but this time, he was subconsciously afraid to let his daughter stay anywhere away from home, fearing that she may face danger in a place where he can't protect her.


	4. Chapter 4

Upon their arrival, Rose and Adeline ran to the door to greet their parents.

"Well," demanded Rose, "who's it from, then?"

"Er, nobody," replied her mother.

"But mum, it can't be from _nobody_ , otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it, would I?"

"Okay, you. We've decided to consider sending you to this school, but first we'd like to see where it is, and what this owl system is. Come sit by mummy and we'll open it together."

On the back of the letter was a list of supplies, and Rose read:

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 _Uniform_

 _First-year students will require:_

 _Three sets of plain robes (black)_

 _One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

 _Course Books_

 _...(you guys know im not listing them)..._

 _Other equipment_

 _1 wand_

 _1 cauldron_

 _1 set of glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOM STICKS_

Another small parchment was included with hand written ink, reading:

 _Please meet Hogwarts game keeper, Mr. Rubeus Hagrid at the leaky cauldron in London on July 30 to purchase your supplies. We are aware of your financial situation, and feel obliged to tell you that the cost of all your supplies has been taken care of. Mr. Hagrid will explain everything to you, clear up any confusion, and explain how you will send your reply. I hope to see you soon at Hogwarts School, Ms. Barton._

 _Signed,_

 _Professor McGonagall_

Once again there was a long pause before anyone spoke. "I'm a _what_?" asked Rose in disbelief, "I'm a witch?!"


	5. Chapter 5

The next ten minutes included bantering between Mr. and Mrs. Barton, Rose occasionally pitching in her point of view. The family rarely fought, though, Mr. Barton was not used to strange ideas, and very unwilling to change his stance on the subject.

"She will go to the school!" shouted Mrs. Barton, with passion.

"She will _not_!" boomed Mr. Barton in return.

After a long while of arguing and attempted compromise, Mrs. Barton had won the argument, and Rose would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"If anything fishy happens, write us straight away, sweetheart, and we'll put you right out of that riffraff place, mark my words!" Mr. Barton said to Rose after the deal was made.

"It's settled then," said Mrs. Barton, beaming at her daughter, "we'll be meeting with this 'Mr. Hagrid' at noon on Sunday the 30th. Your father will be at work, so he won't have to worry about any more of this 'riffraff' behavior. And Adeline," she continued, grinning down at her mischievous second-born, "you better be on your best behavior."


	6. Chapter 6

On Sunday morning of the 30th, Rose got up extra early to toss the papers into the neighborhood yards. She then sprinted up the stairs of her apartment, and made her way over to the showers. For the first time in awhile, Rose scrubbed her body squeaky-clean, and brushed through her long black hair. Rose looked in the mirror. Along with sleek dark locks of hair, she had medium olive skin, a combination of both her parents', and freckles covered her cheeks, just like Adeline. Rose had straight white teeth, a button nose, and intriguing turquoise eyes. she also sported a crooked grin similar to her mother's, and she had a knack for trouble and mischief.

When rose finished grooming herself, she walked down the hall to room 26, and opened the door, to the smell of sizzling bacon filling her nose.

"Good morning, mother," said an elated Rose, with a bounce in her step, "and to you as well, Addy," she continued, ruffling Adeline's tangled hair. Rose ate breakfast in her pajamas, and then walked over to the bedroom to change clothes. Rose knew exactly what to wear. She rummaged through the closet for a few minutes until she found her finest dress. It had a blue floral print, with frilly lace running along the edges, and a sleek black belt wrapped around the middle. Mrs. Barton was most delighted to see Rose in such a beautiful dress, and choked back a tear when she saw her. Rose truly was beautiful, though, and she often attracted attention from boys her age at school.

The family left the apartment building, and began walking down the street to the bus station.


	7. Chapter 7

Mrs. Barton bought a bus ticket for Rose, Adeline, and herself, and they set off for the inner city, where finding the Leaky Cauldron was quite an event.

"Where _is_ this bloody place?" mumbled Mrs. Barton numerous times, "give me that letter again... are you sure it said... if I remember correctly... where could it _be_?"

" _Perhaps_ , they've kept it hidden for a reason, mum. Wouldn't want non-wizards like yourself stumbling upon in too easily, would they?" said Rose coolly.

"Watch your mouth," said Mrs. Barton, glaring down at Rose.

At that moment, something caught Adeline's eye, and she began running forward. She ran until she met what looked like an empty space between two shops. "Well, here it is, silly. It's not hidden very well if I just fount it," she giggled. Rose and her mother looked up at the dark ashy building, concealed by the two shops surrounding it. It looked like it was no longer in business, but had a blackened sign above the door that read, "Leaky Cauldron." The three of them walked in, and a strange sight greeted them. Tables and chairs were moving around in midair, and glasses were filling themselves with mead and whiskey.

"What is this place?" asked Rose curiously.

"Why it's the Leaky Caldron o' course," said a kind, and sort of raspy voice from the bar. A large man - the largest Rose had ever seen - was the one who spoke, "Name's Hagrid," he said, outstretching his hand for Mrs. Barton to shake, who looked quite startled, "Dumbledore's told be all abou' yer situation, an' I'm here to help, if ya need any!" Hagrid was almost twice the size of a normal man, and looked very wild - long tangles of bushy black beard and hair hid most of his face. He had hands the size of trash can lids, and feet the size of baby dolphins, but even Mrs. Barton could tell, he had a fiercely kind heart.

Hagrid started by showing them out the back entrance of the pub, before taking out a pink umbrella from his coat. Rose and Adeline exchanged worried glances, anxious of what his next move would be. To their surprise, he simple tapped the nearby wall twice with his umbrella, after moving it strategically along the grooves of the bricks, mumbling, "three up... two across." The surrounding bricks began to quiver, until the entire area of the wall began to shake, and then the bricks rolled over each other, moving and refitting themselves into different slots, until finally revealing a large arch in the wall.

"Wicked," said Rose, gaping up at the hole in awe.

"Welcome," exclaimed Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley!"


	8. Chapter 8

Diagon Alley was a lively, populous, cobblestone street with animated shops lining each side. Rose and her family gazed around at the scene, as smiles lit up their faces.

"It's beautiful," gaped Rose, "absolutely brilliant."

Rose, Adeline, and Mrs. Barton walked down the path as Hagrid explained where they could find all the necessary school supplies for Rose, and then said he had some business to attend to at the leaky cauldron, but if they needed him, they know where to find him.

"Oi! I almos' forgot!" said Hagrid, pulling out a small velvet sack from one of the many pockets on his overcoat, "here's the money professor McGonagall tol' me ter give you, good luck!"

The family began walking towards a tall shop near the entrance of the alley.

"Ollivander's," said Rose pointing, "this is where hagrid's told us I can buy my wand, right?" Mrs. Barton gave a small nod and guided her daughters towards the shop. It was dark and eerie inside, and floating dust was visible under a single ray of sunshine that showed through the window above. Rose approached the large oak counter, looking around curiously. "Hello?" Rose said, "Is anyone there?" At once a ladder came rolling along a track, with a strange old man standing at the top. He was using the ladder to look at what seemed similar to shoe boxes.

"Hogwarts I presume?" asked the man in a raspy voice.

"Y-yes," answered Rose hesitantly, "I've come to purchase a wand?"

"Of course," said the man, looking distractedly at the wall of boxes, "aha!" He pushed the ladder to the left and pulled a box out from the stack. "Here you are," he said, pulling the top off the box and handing Rose a shiny brown wand. He waited for a reaction. "Well, give it a wave!" he said to Rose. She waved the wand and sparks of fire shot out the end of it, singing the edge of the counter. "Perhaps not, then," the man said, taking the wand back. He searched for a bit longer this time, until pulling out a box from the other side of the store. He handed Rose a new item that was a sleek, shiny, ink black, wand with intricate carvings near the bottom. Rose flicked the wand, and beautiful beams of light came out of it, meandering around the room. "This is the one, I know it," the man said with a smile.

Rose bought the wand and left with her mother and Adeline, thanking the man in the shop. They then shopped at various other stores for Rose's robes, cauldron, and other supplies, when finally, they made their way to a shop called Magical Menagerie. Rose walked in with Adeline, both curious to look at the animals crammed inside the small shop. Their were many different kinds, both magical and ordinary, but one animal caught Rose's eye in particular. Sitting in the corner of the shop, was a small black cat with large green eyes, that began purring calmly as Rose approached. As she placed her hand on the cat's soft fur, his eyes changed from green to a deep, enticing magenta. Rose examined him with fascination, and continued to smooth his fur. She pet him for awhile, before asking her mother how much money they had left. After a short discussion with her mother, and a transaction of more wizard money with the cashier, Rose left the shop with a small black cat in her arms. She named him Caspar.


	9. Chapter 9

Rose had left the wizarding world for the rest of the summer, and could not contain her excitement when the date of September first finally arrived. "I'm going to Hogwarts! I'm going to Hogwarts!" Rose sang as she danced around the apartment, "come _on_ , everybody! I don't want to miss the train!"

The family quickly finished eating breakfast, and rushed out the door to the nearest bus station. They took the bus to their destination, Kings Cross Station, and helped Rose unload her trunk and cat-carrier onto a trolley. Rose had only ever been to Kings Cross once before, to visit her grandmother in Surrey when she was nine.

"Oh I've got that ticket here somewhere," said Mrs. Barton while rummaging through her bag, "Mr. Hagrid said the train leaves at eleven, so I had better find it!" The family continued to walk forward, while Rose pushed her cart along the station.

"Found it!" exclaimed Mrs. Barton, "here you go," she said handing a silvery ticket to Rose. "Mr. Hagrid also said that we -er- wouldn't be able to go with you to the platform, it's too -er- secretive for us or something, so go on, be sure to write us when you can!" The family took about ten minutes to say goodbye to Rose, feeling ensured she'd be safe on her trip.

"Goodbye sweedums!" was the last thing Rose heard before she gave a final wave to her parents and sister. For the first time, Rose looked down at her ticket. Her stomach dropped. _This must be some kind of joke_ , Rose thought. The ticket read:  
 _Kings Cross Station_  
 _September 1st_  
 _Platform 9 3/4_  
Rose began to frantically look for her family everywhere, in hopes of an explanation, but she couldn't find them anywhere. She eventually gave up looking, and made her way to platform nine.

Upon her arrival, she saw something very strange, indeed. A large group of people with flaming red hair stood at the archway. The woman wore strange robes, similar to the ones she had bought for Hogwarts, but much more colorful. Accompanying her were various red-haired children, and one other boy. Rose looked more closely. Was it - no - it couldn't be... "Harry Potter?"


	10. Chapter 10

Harry turned around and looked in confusion at Rose, moving away from the crowd of people he was with. "Harry Potter?" she asked again, "is that you?"

"Er - yes," he replied, "but how do you know me, exactly?"

"You visited my grandmother once while I was at her house," she said hoping to see recognition in his eyes, "My grandmother is Arabella Figg," she added. Harry's eyes widened.

"Ohh!" said Harry with a grin, "you're Rose! I remember you!

"You know, that was the one visit I didn't actually hate at Mrs. Figg's place... er - no offense."

"None taken," smiled Rose.

Harry and Rose walked back to the family, and the red-haired woman introduced herself as Molly Weasley, and her children were Ron, Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny. Molly told Harry and Rose how to get to the platform - by running at full speed through the wall. Rose was skeptical at first, but then she remembered something even crazier- she was a witch. So, she ran full speed through the brick wall with her eyes shut tight. To her surprise, when she opened her eyes, she was standing in a beautiful, sunny train station, that was crowded with many families of wizard children, some of whom were already wearing their robes. Rose let a big smile consume her face as she walked awe-stricken towards the train.

"See you later, little brother," said one of the Weasley twins to Ron, as they got on the train, "and hopefully you, too," the other twin said, winking in Rose's direction. Rose blushed as Harry and Ron exchanged surprised glances.


	11. Chapter 11

The three of them made their way onto a large shiny trained labeled: Hogwarts Express. They found a two-bench compartment, and said down together, Ron petting his large pet rat.

"So, are you muggle-born too, then?" Rose asked Harry once the train started moving.

"Er- no," said Harry, "my mum and dad were a witch and wizard."

" _Were_?" asked Rose shakily, "so that means they-"

"Are dead," finished Harry, looking down at his hands, "I didn't even know I was a wizard until recently."

"Hold on a second!" said Ron, looking from Harry to Rose, "what did you say your name was?!"

"Harry," he replied, "Harry Potter."

"Blimey!" exclaimed Ron, gaping, "so you must have the.. er - the scar?"

"Oh, yeah," laughed Harry, lifting the hair from his forehead to reveal a lightning bolt shaped scar above his right eye.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose, Harry, and Ron got to know each other very well on the ride to Hogwarts, talking about their families, their interests, and what they hoped school would be like. The boys filled in Rose about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and by the end of the story, she was in pure awe.

"So what your saying," she said cautiously, "is that a dark wizard murderer killed your parents, and he died just from trying to kill you?"

"I know it sounds crazy" replied Harry, "but I think he killed loads of people. And the worst part is, some reckon he's still alive out there, just in hiding, though." Rose looked at Harry with wide eyes and her lip began to quiver. She threw her arms around him and embraced him as Ron shifted awkwardly in his seat. The trio continued talking until a sheepish looking boy with dark hair and a round face stumbled into the compartment looking for his toad, Trevor. When Rose, Harry, and Ron reported they haven't seen him, the boy gave a miserable sigh, and moved along to the next car. Not much later, they were interrupted by yet another visitor when the compartment door was quickly slid open.

The person standing at the door was a girl with bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth. With a bossy tone of voice, she said, "has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl was looking at the wand in his hand, rather than listening.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then."

She sat down next to Rose. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er - all right."

He cleared his throat, and began to wave his battered-looking wand while saying, "Sunshine. daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." They all watched Scabbers for a moment, but nothing happened, and he remained grey, and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not a very good one, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there ism I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart of course, I just hope it will be enough - I', Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said this all very fast, and the three of them had to take a moment to process it all. Finally Rose felt a surge of realization, and her turquoise eyes widened.

"Wait a second, did you say Hermione Granger? It's me, Rose Barton, remember?! We went to the same school!"


	13. Chapter 13

The following moments consisted of Rose and Hermione realizing they both attended the same school a few months ago, and that Hermione was a year ahead of Rose, having been almost a year before her. Now here they were, both eleven years old (though Hermione almost twelve), on the train that would take them to a school for wizards and witches. Rose's world seemed to be getting very small, the details of this unbelievable story all intertwined. Hermione then introduced herself to Harry and Ron as well, talked about what house she hoped to be chosen for, and left the compartment, as Ron let out a sigh of relief.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"what house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. And with a gloomy tone, he added, "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"What's so bad about Slytherin?" asked Rose with confusion.

"That's the house Vol- I mean You-Know-Who was in, right?" said Harry, looking to Ron.

"Yeah," said Ron, looking even more rattled, "that's right."

Harry then changed the subject to other topics, and soon enough, Ron was talking about his oldest brothers Charlie and Bill, and the conversation really soared when Ron began talking about the wizarding sport, Quidditch. He explained all about the four balls, and the position of the seven players, and he even went on to talk about famous plays and iconic winnings among teams and countries. He was just taking Harry and Rose through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open for a third time, but it wasn't Neville or Hermione looking back at them. Instead, standing at the door were three boys. Two of them were beefy and mean looking, standing on either side of a pale boy with lemony hair and a pointed chin. Rose looked at the boy with great interest, and she noticed he seemed to be holding a nasty sneer, but his eyes told a different story.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. Rose looked curiously from Harry, to the boy, and back to Harry.

"Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Rose thought it was awfully silly for an eleven-year-old-boy to introduce his friends by their surnames, and to give his surname first as well. She had only ever seen adults do this.

At the name, Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

"Hey!" said Rose sharply at Draco's remark, "Joke around all you want, but don't say a word against his family!"

Draco turned to look at Rose for the first time, and his sneer momentarily dropped, but was picked back up again when he said, "Oh yeah? And who might you be?"

"The name's Barton," she said, mocking his tone from earlier, "Rose Barton."

"I don't believe I've heard that name before," he replied. "Surely, you're not a pureblood."

"Of course I'm a pureblood!" she said back, trying not to sound nervous. Pureblood was only a term Rose had ever heard to describe animals, not people, but she took a guess at what it meant.

"And what'd you say your family name was again?" he asked suspiciously.

"Barton," Rose replied quickly, her heart racing.

"That's odd," said Draco, eyeing her with a scowl. "I really don't think I've heard that one before." He squinted his eyes as he said this.

Rose's heart dropped. Her mind was racing trying to think of what to say next. Then she blurted out, "Yes well, most of my family didn't go to Hogwarts. You see, they thought other schools would teach them better. Well, up until now obviously." Rose looked up at Draco, waiting desperately for a response.

She thought her cover was blown, until Draco said with faked recognition, "Ohh of course! Barton, Barton, silly of me to forget that one." Rose looked up at him, and then back down at Harry and Ron. They both had looks of surprise and distrust on their faces, which made Rose feel guilty about lying.

Draco followed her gaze to Harry, and said, "Anyways, back to business. You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with he wrong sort, I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake harry's but Harry didn't take it.

"I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Rose looked at Draco's face and began to smirk as a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks. It was very difficult for her not to let out a giggle at the sight. His expression changed from embarrassment to anger very quickly as he spoke.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a but politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weaslys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub of on you."

At this, Harry, Ron, and Rose all stood up.

"Say that again," Ron hissed, his face as red a his hair.

"Oh you're going to fight us, are you?" Draco sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him, Ron, and Rose.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle reached for a chocolate frog, but he let out a sudden yelp. Hanging from his finger, was scabbers the rat, his teeth sunk into Goyle's knuckle. He swung his finger around until Scabbers flew off, and hit the window, causing the three boys to disappear from the door frame.

Rose still had an angry fuming inside her when Hermione Granger appeared at the compartment and said, "What _has_ been going on?" after looking around at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by the tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep!"


	14. Chapter 14

After a short chat with Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Rose slipped on their Hogwarts robes over their jeans and t-shirts. A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

The three of them crammed their left-over candy into their pockets, and followed the rest of the students toward the door and onto a tiny black platform. Rose shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing into view and a familiar voice called out: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Rose?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down a steep narrow path. It was very dark and nobody spoke much as they walked. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called out, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Ooooooooh!" The narrow path had opened to the edge of a large black lake. Perched atop a mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many towers and turrets.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of small boats sitting in the water near shore. Harry and Ron were followed onto their boat by Neville and Hermoine. Rose was behind them in the crowd, and she ended up sitting with a pair of twins with light brown skin and long black hair, and a shy looking girl with dirty bond hair and a kind smile. They introduced themselves as Padma and Parvati Patil, and Hannah Abbott. The four girls talked for the entire ride about how exciting their Hogwarts year would be, sharing rumors and stories they'd heard about the school. When the ride was over, the first year students helped each other out of the boats, and followed Hagrid toward the castle until they reached a massive oak door. Hagrid raised a giant fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	15. Chapter 15

The massive doors swung open at once, slowly but with great tension. Many of the first years gaped at the sight in front of them: a grand entrance hall with a warm, welcoming glow awaited them. The ceiling had magnificently high arches, and an extravagant chandelier hung from the center. In front of them stood a tightly-bound witch, with a neat bun pulled back beneath a structured pointed hat. Her expression was hard, and as she spoke, the hall became quiet.

"Welcome first year students, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmistress. If you will all please accompany me to the Great Hall, the Sorting is about to begin." And with a wave of her hand, the first years followed Professor McGonagall up the grand marble staircase, and down a wide hallway to the right. Another set of massive doors stood at the end, and as they neared, the drone of hundreds of voices got increasingly louder. Rose figured the rest of the school must already be inside. McGonagall, however, led the group into a small, empty chamber room off the hall. They piled in, eager to see what would come next.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of you house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." Rose shot a glance at Draco, who didn't seem to be listening. "The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while waiting." Her eyes lingered over any imperfections, and Rose nervously fixed her hair. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber, and Rose turned to the Patil twins. "How exactly do they sort us into our houses?" she asked Parvati.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, while pondering the idea, "it must be a sort of test, you know, to get all our personality traits." This made Rose even more nervous.

"A test?!" she exclaimed, as her face went white, "in front of the entire school?! Is it to late to turn back?"

"You'll do just fine," said Padma, "and no matter what house you get into, look on the bright side: you get to learn magic!"

"I guess your right, and how bad could the test be anyway?" Rose reassured herself. Thoughts still swam around her mind, though, and she worried about what would be on the test. Would she need to know any spells? Would she have to demonstrate something in front of the whole school? What if she failed? Would she have to ride the Hogwarts Express back home alone?

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a sight that made Rose jump, and several people scream. About twenty ghosts had just streamed in through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room, talking casually to one another. On ghost that looked like a fat little monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had finally noticed the first years. The Fat Friar exclaimed his hopes of seeing new students in Hufflepuff, his old house.

"Move along now," said a sharp voice, "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. Rose's heart was now pounding, and her hands were shaking rapidly. She got in line behind Padma and Parvati, with Hanna Abbott behind her.


	16. Chapter 16

The first years were all darting nervous glances around as they entered a large, extravagantly decorated hall. Candles floated above their heads, and banners hung from the high walls, welcoming the new students. Above all, though, was the ceiling itself, having appeared to reflect the night sky outside. Beneath all that stood four long tables, each seating students of different houses, all of whom were looking up at the first years with anticipation.

Rose fixed her hair once more, and looked out onto the crowd. 'Anything but Slytherin,' she thought to herself. Although, Slytherin couldn't be worse than being sent back home on the Hogwarts Express. At this thought, Rose's nerves kicked in again, and she began to bite her lip just to have something to do.

Rose soon realized that all the other students were looking toward the center of the room, where Professor McGonagall stood, holding a beat-up looking witch's hat. She set it down on a wooden stool and stepped back to watch it. Rose watched it with curiosity, wondering if the test would include the hat in some way. Suddenly, the most prominent stitch on the hat's front had split open, and, in a scruffy voice, the hat began to sing, " _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_  
 _I'll eat myself if you can find_  
 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,  
_ _Your top hats sleek and tall,  
_ _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_  
 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_  
 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_  
 _So try me on and I will tell you_  
 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_  
 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_  
 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_  
 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
_ _Where they are just and loyal,_  
 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_  
 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
_ _if you've a ready mind,_  
 _Where those of wit and learning,_  
 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin  
_ _You'll make your real friends,_  
 _Those cunning folks use any means_  
 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_  
 _And don't get in a flap!_  
 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_  
 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Rose watched with wonder as the hat sang its final notes. Slowly, the rest of the great hall began to clap, and Rose joined in.

"Now," said Professor McGonagall from behind the hat, "let us begin!" She put on a pair of square-framed spectacles, and pulled out a long scroll of parchment. She then called out, "Abbott, Hannah!"

Rose turned around to see a stunned-looking Hannah Abbott realize she had been called first. She hesitantly passed through the crowd, and approached the wooden stool where the Sorting Hat once sat. She took a seat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the old brown hat on her head. It was much too large, and covered her eyes, but still spoke all the same. It seemed to be muttering to itself, deciding where to place her. After a few short seconds, it loudly called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" McGonagall removed the hat, and Hannah walked excitedly to the Hufflepuff table, where she was greeted with jolts and cheers from the older students. Rose felt she would be okay with Hufflepuff, as long as it meant she would already know someone.

"Next," said Professor McGonagall, "Granger, Hermione!" Hermione walked briskly up to the stool and sat down, looking eager. The hat muttered to itself and conversed with Hermione for what seemed like hours, until it finally called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Hermione ran to the Gryffindor table, where she got the same greeting as Hannah had, only even louder.

McGonagall continued to call out various names, Padma being sorted into Ravenclaw, Parvati in Gryffindor, and Draco in Slytherin - the sorting hat having taken less than a second on his placement. Rose was now more confused than ever as to where she would be placed, but her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Professor McGonagall call out, "Barton, Rose!"

Awe-struck, Rose walked to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and it fell over her eyes, so all she could see was the brown patchwork inside. Suddenly, she heard the hat's raspy voice loud in her ears saying, "Let's see here... hmmm.. tricky, tricky.

"I see the creativity and intellect of a Ravenclaw, but an odd way of showing it, almost in a more Gryffindor way. Of course you are uncommonly kind and accepting - Hufflepuff I'd say - but the way in which you complete tasks is ruthless, cunning even. Do you have anything to say?"

Rose stuttered, "Well, er, could you just put me in the house I will succeed best in?" Rose wondered weather the hat had heard her.

"Well," he said to her, "I believe you would succeed best in Ravenclaw, or maybe even Gryffindor, but because of the way you asked - and the way you think, it'll have to be.. SLYTHERIN!" The word rang in Rose's ears as she walked toward the Slytherin table, where she was greeted with cheers of welcome as well. She sat down next to a lanky boy with brown hair and pale skin.

"Hi," said Rose shakily, turning to the boy, "I'm Rose."

He simply turned his head to look at her, lingered for a moment, and then looked back to the front of the hall. "And you are?" asked Rose, brushing off his rudeness.

"Theodore," he said carelessly, without looking at Rose. She couldn't tell if he was in fact being rude, or if we was simply just shy. Rose scanned the table to find Draco, and when she did, he was already looking straight at her. They both looked away quickly and brought their focus back to the front of the hall, where the last student was sorted into Hufflepuff. After a brief speech from professor Dumbledore, the feast had begun, but Rose wasn't feeling particularly hungry. The food, of course, was magnificent in every way, but Rose had an empty feeling of loneliness, having been sorted into Slytherin. So far, as Rose looked around, she only saw rich, frilly, pureblood witches and wizards - a life she would never come to know. Rose felt very unwelcome sitting at the Slytherin table, and everyone seemed very rude and mean. The only person she knew at all was Draco, and he had already proven to be a bully. Every so often, Rose longingly turned to look at Harry and Ron, hoping to catch one of their eyes.

As the feast drew to a close, Dumbledore instructed the house prefects to guide the first years towards each of the common rooms. Rose followed the rest of the first years out of the candle-lit hall, trailing after a tall, slender boy with dusty brown hair and a permanent sneer.

"This way firsties," he said lazily, guiding them back down the stairs they had come from. Rose noticed that the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs were all going straight down the walkway, away from the Slytherins.

After trailing down another flight of stairs, and another, and another, the students reached a dimly-lit hall with low, black ceilings.

"He we are," said the prefect. They all stood looking at a blank black wall.

Someone shouted, "what's it we're looking at?!" The prefect glared into the crowd, and turned to the wall.

"Silver serpent," he said into the darkness. Rose and many other first years gazed around in confusion, until the wall in front of them began to shift and fade to reveal a large arched doorway. The students gaped at the room on front of them, taking in the new view. The Slytherin common room was a long, low room with rough black walls and ceilings, on which hung greenish lamps from chains. A lively fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece made from deep dark ebony, the same as Rose's wand.

Rose and the rest of the first years slowly approached the room, allowing the greenish glow to surround them. Large circular windows lined the walls, where the black lake was visible, sloshing gently against the glass. Big squashy armchairs sat near the fire, along with large, extended black couches, and a sleek ebony table in the center. After a few moments of looking around, a different prefect directed the five Slytherin girls up to their room, while the boys went a separate way.

As Rose walked in the room, she smiled at the other girls who joined her - one was slender with short black hair and bangs, another had bushy eyebrows and wide-set shoulders, the third was tall and lean with silvery-blond hair, and the last was small and fierce, with tanned skin and light brown hair. The Slytherin dorm consisted of five four-poster beds, small green lamps, bedside tables, and the trunks belonging to all five girls.

Rose approached the four-poster next to her trunk, and sat down on the dark green comforter, complete with the Slytherin crest on the front. She looked beside her trunk to find Casper curled up in his travel basket. She reached down to pull him up on her lap, took a deep breath, and looked up at her roommates. "Hi," she said with a smile, "I'm Rose, and what's all of your names?"

The girl with the bangs looked up first, "I'm Pansy!" she exclaimed. "Pansy Parkinson. Pureblood... you're all pureblood, right?" The four girls nodded, and Pansy looked pleased. Rose knew it would be better not to tell the truth just yet, so she continued to pet Casper, who's eyes had turned a brilliant shade of amber.

"And I'm Daphne," said the girl with silvery blond locks. "Daphne Greengrass, and you?" she asked the larger girl with bushy eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm Millicent," she said, with a softer voice than Rose would have expected, "but you can all call me Milly," she added with a smile.

Rose, Pansy, Daphne, and Milly all leaned towards the last girl, awaiting her name. "Oh," she said, realizing she hadn't introduced herself, "my name is Tracey." She began unpacking immediately after she spoke.

"So.." said Rose, attempting to break the tension, "er, do you guys know any spells yet?"

"Only a few that I picked up from mum and dad," Pansy replied. "But I'm not very good."

"And you two?" asked Rose, ignoring that Tracey wasn't listening. Daphne and Milly merely shook their heads 'no' in response, so Rose stopped asking questions. "Well, I'm quite tired," she said instead, "erm, goodnight!" The girls have her a quick smile, and they all moved to change into their pajamas. Casper curled up near the end of the bed and closed his now-yellow eyes.

Once Rose was laying peacefully in her four-poster, reality had finally sunk in. For the next nine months, she would be spending the night at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, studying magic day after day. Rose could not be more excited for tomorrow to come.


	17. Chapter 17

Rose opened her eyes to the sight of the deep green silk drapes above her - for a moment she had forgotten where she was. As she got up out of bed, the previous day's events had flooded back to her memory, and she noticed how cold the dorm had become overnight. Her teeth rattled, and goosebumps trotted along her skin. She could tell it was still very early, for the sun had not yet fully peaked through the circular windows, and the lake was still a velvety black. Besides the dorm room being cold, Rose was used to getting up at this time, so she gave up on sleep, and decided to further explore the Slytherin common room. Pulling the green comforter from her bed, Rose tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake any of the other girls, all of whom were asleep. She walked down the shallow black steps, entering the common room below.

When she arrived, it was completely empty, except for one boy sitting in front of the fire. As Rose got closer, she realized it was Theodore - the boy she had met last night, and he too was wrapped in a dark green Slytherin comforter. When he heard her coming, he turned around on the squashy black armchair and looked her up and down.

"Hey," she said, with a smirk, "you cold?"

"Yeah, and I couldn't sleep, you?" he replied.

"Same here, you got the time on you?"

"Six thirty," he said, looking down at his silver wristwatch.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Rose.

"Yeah sure," he said, gesturing to the armchair next to his. Rose noticed a small black cat curled up in his arms as she turned to face the chair.

"Hey! Is that Casper?" she asked, noticing that the cats eyes were changing from an airy lilac to a deep turquoise.

"Oh!" Theodore replied. "Is he yours?"

"Yes he is - I think he likes you." she added, watching Casper purr in his arms.

Rose sat down and looked into the fire, listening to the water slosh onto the circular windows. "It's quite peaceful here, don't you think?" she said.

"Yeah, if you like freezing to death," said Theodore, with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Rose said playfully. I smile grew on her face as well. "So, have you got any pets?"

"No, never have."

"Any siblings?"

"No, it's just me and dad. Mum... isn't with us anymore." The smiles faded from both their faces.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," said Rose with genuine sympathy.

"It's fine, she passed away before I was old enough to chew my food. She just became weak after I was born. And I've always got dad," he said, looking down at his hands.

Rose and Theodore sat in silence for awhile after that, until students gradually filled the common room, and started leaving for breakfast. "Breakfast must begin at seven," said Theodore, looking down at his wristwatch. "That's what time it is now." Casper jumped off his lap to sleep in front of the fire, and Rose followed Theodore to the great hall, where eggs, sausage, toast, biscuits, and various other breakfast foods awaited them. They sat down next to each other, and shortly after, Pansy arrived with Milly and Daphne, who sat down beside Rose.

"Hi Rose," said Pansy as she approached. "Mind if we sit here."

"Yeah sure," she replied with a smile. As they sat down, Theodore wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood up to walk away. Rose watched him leave, puzzled, until he reached the doorway, and Draco entered. They made accidental eye contact, and both looked away.

He ended up siting diagonally from Rose, on the other side of the table. She kept her head down as she ate, but she wondered if he was longing to speak with her, as she was with him. Although she knew him to be a bully, Draco had an enticing quality that Rose could not explain. Some deep instinct inside her said to get on his good side, so she wanted to to talk to him more than anything; to confirm her instinct. About half way into breakfast, the professors came around to hand out the schedules to the house prefects, who passed them along to each student. Rose looked at her schedule, and read aloud the day's plan, as the other first years followed along. "First, we have potions with Gryffindor-" Pansy scowled, "then we've got Charms with Ravenclaw, History of Magic with Hufflepuff-" Draco sniggered and Rose glared at him, "and then Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor before dinner."

Rose and the others finished their food and trailed back to the Slytherin dungeon, where they would get ready for the day. Rose slipped on her black robes and looked on the left side, where the Slytherin crest had appeared. She brushed her hair and looked into her small rusted hand-mirror - she looked as beautiful as ever, but didn't realize it, as usual. She walked into the common room, where Theodore sat at a black wooden table alone, also wearing his robes. Rose walked slowly toward him and sat down in the seat opposite him - he didn't even look up.

"Hey stranger," she said. There was no response. She tried again, "hey, Theodore, why did you leave breakfast so early? I brought you your schedule," she said, holding out a piece of parchment identical to her own.

"Thanks," he said, taking it, still without looking up.

"Look at me," said Rose. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, finally meeting her eyes - his were a brilliant shade of blue, "we're not friends so just leave me alone, okay?" Rose raised her eyebrows and walked away in defeat. What had changed between them since breakfast? Now her day was already off to a shaky start, which had put a damper on her mood as she walked to potions with Pansy and Daphne. The room was just near the Slytherin common rooms, on the other side of the dungeons, and they were the first ones inside, along with the other Slytherin girls.

Pansy and Milly sat down at a table near the center of the room and Daphne and Tracey sat directly behind them, all four of them whispering and laughing to each other, without even acknowledging Rose. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, _do they know I'm muggle-born? Were they only pretending to be friendly?_ Rose frowned, sat behind them at the very back of the room, and took out her ink, pen, and parchment, and put them on the table. After waiting a few moments, Theodore walked in, and Rose hoped desperately that he would sit next to her, but he veered right and sat at another corner of the room - in the back as well. The face Rose really longed to see, was Hermione's. _She would understand,_ thought Rose, _she would understand how I'm feeling._ But Rose never had the chance to talk to her, because in a few more minutes, Draco swaggered into the room, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, and scanned the tables for a seat. When he caught sight of Rose, he smirked.

"Rose, isn't it?" said Draco, pulling out the chair next to Rose.

"Don't be thick," she replied, raising one eyebrow. Rose wanted to talk to Draco, but she had no tolerance for stupidity. "Are you going to sit?" Draco seated himself in the chair and waved off Crabbe and Goyle.


End file.
